Bruins set to honor barrier-breaker

More than 60 years after he broke the NHL’s color barrier, Willie O’Ree will soon add another milestone to his career. The Bruins announced Tuesday that O’Ree, left, will have his No. 22 jersey retired prior to the team’s Feb. 18 game against the Devils. It will make O’Ree the 12th player in team history to have a sweater hung in TD Garden. The 85-year-old O’Ree said he was in his backyard Monday when he got the call from Bruins president Cam Neely informing him about the honor. “I was at a loss for words there for a few seconds,” O’Ree said. “I’m overwhelmed and thrilled about having my Bruins jersey hung up in the rafters.” He became the league’s first Black player when he suited up for the Bruins on Jan. 18, 1958. O’Ree, who was legally blind in one eye, played two seasons for the Bruins, retiring from professional hockey in 1979. O’Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2018 as part of the “Builder” category, which honors those who have made significant contributions to the sport. Since 1998, O’Ree has worked for the NHL as a diversity ambas